Allergies, I Hate Thee

I'm not sure how much of this stuffy nose is due to a cold and how much is due to allergies. Everyone at church is sniffling and coughing too. The allergies are particularly bad in our area this year. For this reason alone, I want to eventually move out of this area. I am NOT joking. Click on this link to see why Oregonians are so miserable right now.

Rainbow and I went out for dessert on Saturday for some much needed girl time. Her husband asked only one thing of me before we left: Bring her back in a better mood. Ha ha You know, I just can't think of a single reason why she'd be grouchy. *cough*8 1/2 months pregnant*cough* She is kinda worried because this is Kid #4. Four kids, that's a lot. I think once she gets past the newborn phase it'll all be fine. Her three kids are well-behaved and helpful. We had a great time eating cheesecake, we laughed and laughed. Mission accomplished: I brought Rainbow back to her husband in a much better mood.

My grandpa lends L his coat during pictures just after my wedding. Despite it being April, it had snowed all morning, and we were all freezing our butts off!

P.S. Katie - recognize anyone?

I talked to my friend L last night, for the first time in over a year. She's my oldest friend. We've known each other for about 14 years. Not so long, I know, but I moved around a lot as a kid, so that's my record friendship. She was my maid of honor. The past couple of years, we've lost touch. She's been busy settling into her job as an RN in a very busy, stressful ward, and I've been busy having a kid. Plus, I'm bad at keeping in touch. The exciting thing is, L lives in Utah, which is exactly where I'm flying on Friday! So we'll finally get to catch up. I invited her up to stay with my entire family - though I asked first if she felt okay with staying with all of us (there will be 11 members of my family there) - it can get kind of chaotic and overwhelming in a big family. Dh isn't coming - I think he can only handle one trip with my family per year - and I'm okay with that. Then I have a perfect out whenever I don't want to visit his parents! I'm so excited to hang out with her. It's been waaaay too long since we talked. I need to stop sucking at long-distance friendships.

Thought for the day, heard at church: assume nobility of intent in others. It kind of slapped me upside the head. A couple of weeks ago, someone I don't really like called and left a message out of the blue - a cleaning tip of all things. At first I was like, Um, weird. Then, because I don't care for this person, I totally started reading into it - what a brat she is, to call and tell me how to clean better, as if she should talk. Lame, I know. I'm going to assume nobility of intent, because she was probably just trying to be nice, so I don't need to get all beyotchy! I think assuming the best intentions of other people will make me a happier, more pleasant person to be around.

Bleh

Did I say Baby E was on the tail end of her cold on Monday? I was wrong. She is still sick, and I am sick, and really this has been a crappy week. I feel awful and Baby E has been so cranky, wanting to be held almost constantly, crying if I put her down so I can eat. Uuuuuugh. I have been sleeping incredibly poorly, waking up frequently to cough. I am so thrilled Dh is coming home tomorrow, because I am just about on empty here.

The best part of the past few days was Bunko on Tuesday. (I had a slight sore throat that I attributed to allergies. Oh, that I had been correct.) It was lots of fun as always and it was nice to be out of the house surrounded by my friends. And the babysitters refused payment because Baby E was asleep the entire time! I'm sure their mom told them to do that, but I still give them props. They live just down the street, and I think they are my new faves! They are two sisters, 14 and 12 I think.

I put a few ridiculous movies on the queue for while Dh is gone. I watched Rent (see below), John Tucker Must Die (dumb but funny), and am in the middle of Just My Luck (kind of painful).

Rent...annoyed me. I knew practically nothing about it, not being into the Broadway scene (Blubabe, I guess you can smack me later). Normally I would have just dismissed its simplistic message (mainstream baaaaaad, counterculture goooooood), but I know that my sister E loves it. Now granted, she is 19, and when I was that age, I had some lingering existential angst about the horror of being born a middle-class American. (Listened to a lot of OK Computer in the mid-90s.) But it bothers me that she loves the movie (her angst is active, not lingering - and she is going through some really tough times right now trying to figure out who she is). That she revels in its premise - "We're cool because we are tr@nssexual, smoke pot, and don't have paying jobs!" I really don't think those things make you insta-legitimate. Just because you "buck the system" doesn't mean you're a free thinker. I suppose everyone has to decide where they're going to stand on these issues. I just hope she realizes eventually (sooner rather than later) there are consequences to relentless self-indulgence, the characters in Rent were miserable, and those of us who are happy can't be dismissed as self-deluded self-medicating followers - we actively choose our lives just as 'rebels' do and we are truly happy. Being good and morally clean come with benefits.

Cranky Baby

Baby E is on the tail end of her cold. She cranked and fussed ALL morning. She only took at thirty-minute nap. Not okay. She went down a little early for her afternoon nap and slept for almost two hours. Then I announced, We are outta here! I couldn't sit around the house with the Crankmeister any more.

We walked over to my friend Kenny's. (That's a girl, it's my nickname for her, I didn't galivant off to some guy's house.) We went for a long walk, very nice. Then she asked me to stay for dinner because Dh is gone all week camping! It was really fun. Kenny and her husband are uber-sarcastic, which I revel in. Her kids are also hilarious. Her oldest (8 yrs old) told me all about how she loves Home Improvement. We discussed which characters were the coolest. She likes the youngest son. I asked does he ever seem whiny? No, she assured me, he's not. Ha ha Baby E behaved like an angel. Perhaps I should take her to other people's houses more often. We had so much fun, we stayed way past Baby E's bedtime!

And yeah, you read that right, Dh is gone all week camping. Despite being sooooo sick. Sick enough that he announced yesterday, "If I was going to work tomorrow instead of camping, I would call in sick." This from the guy who NEVER calls in sick. But as our neighbor pointed out, you have to have priorities. And Dh has his.

Tomorrow I am going to spend the day with Rainbow. She is realllllly pregnant now (8.5 months) and so I think our plans pretty much consist of: sitting around her house talking. I'm totally down with that. Baby E loves crawling around her house and watching her 3-year-old play.

Bullet Time

• Baby E is sick. I don't get it. No illness for the first 11 months of her life, then two colds in the past month and a half.
• I finally got my hair cut after a NINE MONTH lapse and my hairdresser said I only needed a half inch off because my hair is in really good condition! She said to keep up whatever I've been doing (that would be: curling hair no more than twice a month, wearing a ponytail nearly every day, and rarely brushing). So. Stop brushing and curling your hair. It will apparently thank you.
• I am making Oreo Truffles for Dh for Father's Day, and if you think those sound delicious, well, you're right. They are freaking good. I plan on secretly hiding half for myself.
• I went shopping by myself on Saturday and had a lot of fun. I scored some cool stuff at the Banana outlet and wandered dreamily through Anthropologie.
• I got pulled over on Tuesday for making an illegal U-turn and nearly crapped my pants in fear. Not of the cop, no no, fear of the massive and eternal lecture Dh would give me. Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles, said cop gave me a warning. And I have not said a word to Dh. Nor will I.
• The women in my church stake put together a collection of writings - poetry, short stories, essays, etc. I accepted one on Sunday, thinking hopefully it would be so bad that I would get some good laughs. Well, none of it is really bad enough to laugh at, mostly just inspires turning the page and rolling one's eyes. Some of it though is really good. I am surprised and delighted.
• Katie referred me to this blog. If you delight in life, love, and your child(ren), you should check it out. Also check out this cooking blog by the same author. It will make you salivate!!

1 Year

Well, Baby E is one now and I can't really wrap my head around it. I guess growing up, seeing my parents, I thought you became a different person somehow upon parenthood. That you gained extra knowledge just by virtue of being a mother or father. But you don't really. I'm still the same girl I was two years ago. Mostly. More unselfish. But still pretty much just me. Now I realize my parents were two kids feeling their way along just the same as Dh and me. I like that about being a parent; I've gained greater insight into my parents - as people, not just as my parents. Makes me more empathetic to and forgiving of them.

At the same time, I feel different in a few important ways. Before I had Baby E, my life was All Me, All the Time, with some Spouse thrown in for kicks. Now it's Mostly Baby, Some Me, Some Dh. I'd be lying if I said it was easy to transition to being second on my own list of priorities. Sometimes I feel like I am becoming just Mother. Being subsumed by my responsibilities. This is compounded when I go out in public and people only talk to me to talk about Baby E. Makes me as a person, as Anth, feel kinda invisible.

However.

I think about Baby E and I can't imagine being without her. After she's been in bed a few hours, I miss her. She brings me delight every day. She is so fun, and loving, and hilarious.

Recently Dh went to a weeklong conference. When he got back, he asked me if I was jealous that he missed Baby E more than me. I didn't even hesitate: "Of course not. I miss her when I go to Target by myself. No offense, doll, but I don't miss you at Target." We both love that little girl so much it hurts.

(Thanks to my old roomie Onler for the adorable handmade dress!) I am a total sucker for smocking.

She loves to "read" books. She often reads them upside-down, which I think bothers Dh. Which is cute. She loves any books she can get her hands on, but especially: 1) ones with pictures or 2) whatever book I'm reading. She likes to pull out the bookmark. (...eh) She likes to turn the pages when I read to her. When my mil came the other weekend, she marveled at Baby E's affinity for books. Baby E done made me proud.

She grunts and points at whatever she wants me to name. Sometimes naming objects is 75% of what comes out of my mouth in a given day. Ha ha The only words I am sure she knows are still "E" and "baby." When I carry her down the hallway, she grunts and points emphatically at the pictures hanging up - she loves it when Dh or I name everyone in the pictures (which is really just me, Dh & Baby E in various arrangements).

The most exciting thing I have to say is...Baby E took her first step today! That's right! I am so proud of her! It happened so fast I immediately started to doubt, but then she got up, let go of the recliner, and took another step! Then she fell down on her face and thought about crying. Her eyebrows turned red. I was cheering and clapping though, so she decided to put on a brave face.

Other than this brief foray into walking, Baby E spends her time crawling and cruising. She is super fast so Dh & I really have to be on our toes. She can cruise right around the coffee table and tip over your glass before you can say "Jack Robinson." She loves to drink out of real glasses - in fact this is the only way I can really get her to drink cow's milk. Maybe I'll try soy milk out on her.

The Eensy-Weensy Spider is one of her favorites.

Baby E's typical day -

6:30/7 - wake up, play in crib

7/7:30 - Dh gets her up, changes her diaper, gives her some Cheerios or bread

8:30 - say Good Morning to me, nurse

8:45 - wave bye to Dh, play

9:30-11 - morning nap

11:20-12:30 - Adventures with Mom (Target, Winco, thrift shop, library)

12:30-1 - Lunch

1/1:30 - Dh comes home for lunch - Playtime!!

2:30-4/4:30 - Afternoon nap

5 - Dinner

6/6:15 - Bedtime

She has four teeth. The last one's been taking its sweet time, and she's been slobbering a ton, which she didn't really do on the other three. Pretty sure the slobber is the cause of the little red bumps I've spotted around her mouth recently.

She learned to clap on her birthday (Monday). She claps slowly, almost tentatively. Very cute. She also likes to throw her hands up in the air above her head so I will say, "How big is Baby E? SO big!" which I find annoying but I stupidly did it once so now she wants it all the time.

Everywhere I go, people love Baby E. She acts all shy, crosses her little legs, it's adorable (and bull). She has an amazing sensor and can tell when a baby is within 15 feet. On come the grunting and pointing. She loooooves other babies.

We spent her birthday quietly - Dh got the day off work. Too bad Baby E was cranky for most of the day (I think due to teething). The weather wasn't that great, but it was kind of sunny, and mostly warm, so we went to the park. Unfortunately, it was a bust. Not very good footage for the video camera. Ha ha She smiled going down the slide with Dh, but the bouncy seahorse set her off (??) and Dh had to calm her down. Then we tried to put her in the swing, but she was having none of that. After her afternoon nap she was more like her normal self. She had fun playing with both of her parents! We stuck her "1" candle in some bread (I know, how ghetto, but I was not giving her cake!) and we sang to her. She of course had no idea what to do with the candle, so Dh blew it out and then we cheered and she smiled and everyone was happy!

Baby E on Food -

A Short Photo Essay

Tuna pasta is the best!

I am an adventurous eater. I have tried and loved: tuna pasta, chicken josh (curry), raspberries, black bean soup, bulgur porridge, pumpkin cranberry bread, blueberries, taco meat, and many more! But don't try to make me eat watermelon! I will spit it out!

Getting an early start on my life of boozin' it up.



(Relax, it's root beer.)

I love ravioli.

I eat with much gusto. My mother pleads, "Don't touch me," when she approaches to clean me off. Then I giggle. And aim for her clothes.